Toy piano



Fatented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention reiates to musical toys simulating pianos, and one of itsobjects is to provide an amusing and educational toy adapted for playinga melody by striking keys.

Other objects are to suspend a striking member on a key in the positionof rest, to avoid any permanent connection or contact between thismember and the key of any other body whereby this member is freelymovable within certain limits, to push this member by the key toward asounding element or tone bar whereby this member strikes the bar and, inthe striking position, is free of any contact other than that with thebar, and thereby to produce tone that is clear, well ringing, of, .adefinite quality and not 11-1.- paired by contact or connection of thestriking member with any other body than the bar. Further objects are toprovide the striking member with considerable weight whereby the strokewill have considerable strength, to destribute this weight so that themembers center of gravity is lower than the surface of the keysupporting the member in the position of rest, thereby to reduce thatheight of the member which extends over the key and to reduce thenecessary distance between the key and the sounding element, to providea stable and reliable suspension of the striking member, and to guidethe member into the suspended position when it rebounds from thestriking position.

Still other objects are to provide a resilient stop supporting the keyin the position of rest, thereby to avoid disturbing vibrations orknocking noises made by the back falling key and by the reboundingstriking member, and thereby to make possible the use of a casing madeof sheet metal without undesired by-sounds arising from the casing.

Still further objects are to obtain these results with simple andinexpensive means and with a structure that requires little space, andto provide a toy of the type described that can be easily made,assembled, inspected and repaired.

Still other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of exemplifying embodiments of my invention, from theappended claims and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a partially sectional top view of an illustrativeembodiment of my invention, the sectionally represented part being outalong the line !I in Fig. 2, the tone bars being Omitted.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of the same embodiment, taken along theline 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a partially sectional front view of .sitioned between thestrings l8 and bridged over by the bars 11. The sides of this the sameembodiment seen from the right side in Fig. l or Fig. 2, the sectionallyrepresented part being out along the broken line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of a modified key and striking member whichmay be used instead of the corresponding parts of the embodiment shownin Figs. 1 to 3, this cross-section being taken along the line 44 inFig. 5.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, numeral 5 indicates the bottom, 5 the backwall, 1 a lateral wall, 8 another lateral wall, 9 the top and H thefront wall of a casing. The bottom 5 and the walls 8, 1 and 3 form onepreassembled unit, and the top 9 and the front wall H belong to anotherpreassembled unit. In assembled condition, these two units are connectedby bending later-a1 rims l2 and I3 of the top around laterallyprojecting rims Id and 15 of the walls and 8. Preferably, the casingcomprising the parts 5 to IE is made of sheet metal. The casing or itsbottom 5 may be supported by legs I6.

A row of tone bars H is positioned in the cas ing and supported by thesame in, preferably, horizontal and parallel positions. For example, thebars Il may rest on strings l8 and 15 which, in turn rest on a flatframe 2i having lateral edges inserted in inner grooves formed bycorrespondingly bent bulges 22 and 23 of the walls 1 and 8. The backwall 5 may have a similar bulge 24 forming a groove receiving the backedge of the frame 2|. The front wall ll may have a bulge 25 for theinsertion of the front edge of this frame.

The frame 2! has a window or opening 25 poi9 and window run preferablyparallel to the outer edges of the frame. The left wall 7 may reachfarther to the rear side than the right wall 8 whereby the horizontalcross-sections of the casing, of the frame and of the window formtrapezoids adapted for the arrangement of a row of differently long tonebars.

The bars I! may be affixed to the strings i8 and I9 in any suitablemanner. For example, each bar has two books 2'! connected to its lowerside and bent around the strings. The frame is provided with openings 26into which the hooks 21 reach.

A row of keys 29 is positioned at a level lower than the frame 2|. Eachkey 29 has an inner end 3| positioned under one of the bars I! and has anar ower portion 32 passing through a slightly higher opening 33 of thefront wall [I Jhereby the key is turnable and hinged to the wall H. Thelower part of this wall is wedged in a fold of a ledge 34 of aboutW-shaped crosssection. The rear wall 35 of the ledge 34 forms aresilient tongue supporting the key end 3| in the position of rest.

The front side of the bottom is bent up and forms a front ledge 36terminating in an inwardly projecting rim 3? which forms a resilientstop for the keys 29 when the same are struck. The lateral ends of theledge 35 contact and may be connected to front extensions 38 of thelateral walls 1 and 8.

Each key end 3| has lateral recesses 39 positioned at both sides of aneck 4| which is narrower than the adjoining parts of the key. A ring 42surrounds each neck 4| is preferably made of metal and re atively heavy.The highest are 43 of each ring 42 extends substantially horizontallyand contacts, in the shown position of rest, the upper edges of thecorresponding neck 4| whereby the ring is suspended on the key end 3|and has a center of gravity positioned lower than the are 43.

Instead of the keys 29 and the rings 42, the modifications shown inFigs. 4 and 5 may be used. These figures show a key 44 having a narrowportion 45 identical to the portion 32 of the keys 29 whereby each key44 can be hinged to the wall [I in the same manner as the keys 29. Theinner end 46 of the key 44 has an opening 41 surrounding. withclearance, the median part of a member 48. The upper end of the member48 forms a head 49 which is broader than the opening 41. A similar head5| may form the lower end of the member 48. The member 48 may be made ofmetal, may be relatively heavy and has a center of gravity positionedunder the head 49.

The member 48, as well as the member or ring 42, is free of anypermanent connection with any other body and is freely movable withincertain limits. The key 44 and the member 48, as well as the key 29 andthe ring 42, form two elements interlocking each other with clearance.

When the player strikes a key 29 or 44, the inner end 3| or 46 of thestruck key moves up and pushes the suspended member 42 or 48 upwardly inthe direction to a tone bar II. Thereby the pushed member is thrownthrough the opening 25 of the frame 2|, loses contact with the key andstrikes the bar l1 positioned over the struck key. Thereby a clear andloud tone is produced. The top 9 of the piano may be provided withopenings 52 in order to make the produced tones better audible.

After having struck the bar, the member 42 V or 43 rebounds and fallsback on the key end 3| or 46 where this member remains suspended untilthe key is struck again. At the same time, the

the rims l4 and i5 from the rims l3 and I4.

as far as necessary to disengage Then, the unit comprising the top 9,the front wall H, the ledge 34, the keys 29 and the striking members 42or 43 is drawn to the front side in slightly rising direction wherebythis unit is easily separated from the remaining body of the piano. Inthus separated condition, all elements are conveniently accessible. Thepiano can be easily reassembled by reverse procedure.

I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to theparticular embodiments shown and described, the same being merelyillustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other wayswithout departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious thatthe particular embodiments shown and described are only a few of themany that may be employed to attain the objects of my invention.

Having described the nature of my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a toy piano, a tone bar disposed in a substantially horizontalplane, a key having an upwardly movable end underlying said tone bar andspaced below the latter, and a striking member loose y engaging saidupwardly movable end of said key and movable vertically relative to thelatter, said striking member being symmetrical about a horizontal axisand formed with portions adjacent the top and bottom thereof engageablewith said end of said key and limiting the vertical movement of saidmember relative to said key, said portion adjacent the top of saidmember engaging said end when the key is at rest thereby suspending saidmember from said end with the center of gravity of said member disposedbelow said end, said key and said memher being so shaped and positionedthat upward movement of said end efiects upward throwing of said memberinto striking contact with sa1d bar;

and so that said member, when dropping away from said bar, falls backinto said suspended position.

2. In a top piano, a substantially horizontally disposed tone bar, a keyhaving an upwardly movable end underlying and spaced downwardly fromsaid bar. and a striking member formed symmetrical about a horizontalaxis, said key end and said member forming a pair of elementsinterlocking with substantial clearance, one of said elements having anopening and the other of said elements having a neck passing looselythrough said opening, said member being formed with portions adjacentthe top and bottom thereof engageable with said key end and adapted tolimit the vertical movement of said member relative to said end, saidmember being suspended by said portion adjacent the top thereof fromsaid end when said key is at rest with the center of gravity of saidmember disposed below said end HARRY ZIMMERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th -le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Lohr Apr. 7, 1942

